Shuttleless loom



July 23, 1940. T VRCK 2,208,886

SHUTTLELESS LOOM Filed Aug. 30, 1939 'www A mcg A fw/M@ ill Patented July 23, 1940 sHUTTLELEss Loot'ifl; f'

l; Theodor Vorck, London, England; assignor to United Elastics Limited, Londonylngland l "Aplieatitn August 8o, 1989. serial Nt. 292,6{37

p `InGrreat Britain September 19,1338.

s claims.` (C1. 189x128) l This invention` relates toshuttleless looms of the kind wherein a thread laying` member other than a shuttle is passed `to and fro through the warpfshedwto lay loops `of weft threads therein.

The invention also includes `shuttleless looms or1 machines `providedwith a selvedge forming device; such as areused` in the manufacture of ribbonmtapes, braids and like narrow webs of fabric.

The, chief objectof theinvjention is to provide i an improved weft laying device and in selvedge looms `or machines to ensure that a uniform selvedge is formed lon the fabric.

Q `Another object of the invention is to provide f a 'shuttleless loom witha weft thread laying member slidably mounted at lone end` on a driving" member having a `component of motion across the shed.` A further object `is to provide a weft thread laying member which is constrained tol-moveagainst a `cam or guide surface or is guided in a slot whereby on operation of the driving member the free end of the thread laying member carrying the weft threadis moved to and fro through the shed in a predetermined curved path to lay the weft thread in the shed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shuttleless loom with means for forming a selvedge at the side of the fabric. Another object is to provide a knitting needle and arrange for it to be operated to engage and interknit the weft loops as they are laid in the shed to form a selvedge. A final 'object is to provide a fixed thread guide pin for assisting in directing the thread into engagement with the needle.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be describedby reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of a unit for use in shuttleless looms for producing narrow webs of fabric having a knitted selvedge in accordance with the invention and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the warp 3 Aand weft threads drawn to a larger scale and showing the formation of the knitted selvedge.

As shown the weft laying member and the cooperating knitting needleare arranged as a unit on a breast block I adapted to be secured to the loom frame 2 as by screws 3. The warp threads l are passed through heddles operated to form a shed in any usual manner and it is thought to be unnecessary to illustrate the shed forming mechanism. The weft thread 5 is laid through the shed by a weft laying member 6 having an 'the weft thread of each loop and ensures that it eyeI for the thread. The web thus woven passes under a bar 8 `and between adjustable guides 8a mounted on a plate 8bv tothe usual take-up roll (not shown).

Foroperatingthe weft laying member B, a bar 5 il` is slidablymounted in the loom frame and adapted torbe reciprocated across the frame by any suitable means, a slide "I I being secured `at rightangles tothe bar `with a plate I2 having .a curved slot I3 thereinl xed Vto the frame 2 10 above the slide. A pinv I4 carrying an arm I5 to which 'the thread layingmember 6 is rigidly attached passesthroughtheslotv I3 and is secured to a cross head It movingin the slide II. Thus on reciprocation'of the `bari)` the pin I4 is slidably guided `to and fro in the slot `I3 thereby moving the member 6 to and fro through the shed in a curved path 6a; The angle of the slide II relative tofthe' bar` 9 and the shape of the slot I3 may be varied in anysuitable mannerprovided that the eye 'I of theweft laying member I is slidably moved in a curved path to and fro through the shed and travels beyond .the extremity of the shed so that in its extreme position it is over the selvedge `knitting needle and can co-operate therewith.

To form a knitted selvedge by knitting the weft loops one into the other a latch knitting needle I'I carried in a holder I8 is provided, the holder being reciprooated by an eccentric I9 driven from the driving shaft of the loom. as shown. A pin or thread guide 2I is fixed to a bracket 22 on the breast block I parallel to and in the hori- Zontal plane of the needle II, its free end being bent upwardly to rise above the latch of the needle (Fig. 2). The pin 2I is preferably made of spring steel.

In forming the selvedge the needle I'I is moved forward as the weft loops are laid by the weft laying member 6 and the thread guide 2| meets is -guided into theneedle hook. As the weft laying member 6 moves out of the shed the needle I1 recedes carrying the last laid weft loop with it land draws it through a loop formed by the last preceding pair of weft threads laid during the last preceding pick of the loom. as indicated in Fig. 3. Thus a selvedge` of interknitted weft threads is formed.; This method of forming the knitted selvedge is already known and further description thereof is. thought to be unnecessary. While the knitting needle used is preferably of the latch type, a bearded needle, or needle of any suitable type may be used as will be understood. If desired the thread guide pin 2| may vided one on each side of the shed. A comb mayr f be provided on the loom frame to assist in ,beating up the weft threads. The curved.' path in which the weft laying member 6 moves however enables the weft to be laid tightly in the fell and thus serves to beat up the wefts but a reed or sley may also be employed.

The thread laying member 6 may be ofany suitable shape and its length and angular position relative to themember I5 may be adjusted by a suitable sliding and/or pivotal connection maintained by aclamlping screw or the like asindicated at 23 Fig. 1.

` The pin i4 is shown as moving in the curved slot 'i3 butit Willbe understood that a cam may be substituted for the slot and the pin I4 suitably pressed against the cam as by a spring for example. Further it will be understood that a loom. may be fitted with a series of weft laying members of the kind hereinbefore described, with or without. aseries of selvedge forming mechanisms, adapted to operate simultaneously on a series of sheds to `produce aseries of fabric strips.

`The mechanism shown is readily adapted to be applied to a loom as a complete unit.

I claim:

l. In a shuttleless loom and in combination, a driving member, means for imparting to the drivingmember a component of motion across the shed, a thread laying member slidably mounted at one end on the driving member, a curved guide surface, and means for urging 'the thread laying member against the curved guide surface, so that.`

cured to said bar at an angle thereto, a plate having an arcuate slot therein fixed to said frame, a cross head slida'bly mounted in said guide, a pin iixed tosaid cross head and passing through said slot and ,carrying a thread laying member, the arrangement 'being such that when the bar is reciprocatedthe pin is constrained to move to and A'lfrolalo'ng said slot whereby the thread laying memberis moved in an arcuate path to and fro through a shed of warp threads to lay loops of weft threads therein.` i

3. In a shuttleless loom land in combination a loom frame, atransverse bar in the loom frame, means for reciprocating the bar transversely in the frame, a slide iixed Vat an angle to said bar, a cross head, means for moving the cross head in the slide, a curved slot in a plate fixed to the frame, a pin iixed atits lower end to said cross head and passing through said slot and weft laying member iixed at one end to the upper end of said pin, the arrangement being such that when said means is operated to reciprocate the bai` in the frame the cross head moves in the slide and the pin is moved to and fro along the slot and thus imparts to the weft laying member a movement to and fro across the shed in a predetermined curved path.

THEODOR VORCK. 

